Instead, this research focused on what actually happened when a group of women looked at how adult literacy and basic education programs across Canada fail to pay attention to the realities of women's lives. In the process they engaged in effective literacy work, empowered many women (including themselves), challenged and affirmed feminist analyses, and helped a wide variety of programs become more woman-positive. Together, this group of women have documented their work so that those involved in adult literacy, non-profit agencies, education institutions, coalitions, and policy development can pay attention to the lives of women and other marginalized groups.

This book is just one part of the public record of this exciting research project. It begins with a description of the women and programs that participated in this research, moves into a summary of the research background, methodology, and design, then presents the themes that women identified during the process, the collaborative analysis, and the recommendations that grew out of women's ongoing interpretations of their work. The remainder of the book presents the material women and programs developed to document their woman-positive activity.

This documentation comes primarily from the perspective of program workers, however some programs documented women's experiences by publishing student writing. Each piece in this collection grows out of the specific context of a particular program, the community in which it is located, and the person or people who wrote it. The material is presented in an order designed to give readers a sense of the range of participants and the scope of activities undertaken in this research project. There are seven reflective and analytical articles, a policy paper, excerpts from one woman's journals, a short story that could be used as curriculum, a poster developed by program workers, and student-written material from four programs.

We invite you to browse through this book, stopping to read as pieces appeal to you. We expect some materials to speak to you in different ways at various times. We hope this collection will engage you again and again.

Readers interested in more detailed information about the research design, the methodological framework, the women who participated in this research, and what happened in each program should turn to the first book in this series, The power of women-positive literacy work -- Program-based action research. It also includes the complete analysis and recommendations emerging from this research.

Readers interested in using what happened to spark discussion among students and staff in their programs should turn to Listen to women in literacy -The power of women-positive literacy work. Designed as a resource for literacy and adult basic education programs, it contains a summary of what women did and what they learned. It also includes questions to prompt discussion and analysis.